Importance-sampling computation of statistical properties of coupled oscillators

We introduce and implement an importance-sampling Monte Carlo algorithm to study systems of globally-coupled oscillators. Our computational method efficiently obtains estimates of the tails of the distribution of various measures of dynamical trajectories corresponding to states occurring with (exponentially) small probabilities. We demonstrate the general validity of our results by applying the method to two contrasting cases: the driven-dissipative Kuramoto model, a paradigm in the study of spontaneous synchronization; and the conservative Hamiltonian mean-field model, a prototypical system of long-range interactions. We present results for the distribution of the finite-time Lyapunov exponent and a time-averaged order parameter. Among other features, our results show most notably that the distributions exhibit a vanishing standard deviation but a skewness that is increasing in magnitude with the number of oscillators, implying that non-trivial asymmetries and states yielding rare/atypical values of the observables persist even for a large number of oscillators.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures; v2: minor changes, close to the published version, title changed to conform to PRE guideline

Fe and N self-diffusion in non-magnetic Fe:N

Fe and N self-diffusion in non-magnetic FeN has been studied using neutron reflectivity. The isotope labelled multilayers, FeN/57Fe:N and Fe:N/Fe:15N were prepared using magnetron sputtering. It was remarkable to observe that N diffusion was slower compared to Fe while the atomic size of Fe is larger compared to N. An attempt has been made to understand the diffusion of Fe and N in non-magnetic Fe:N

Characterization and comparative evaluation of novel planar electromagnetic sensors

The characterization of three types of novel planar electromagnetic sensors: 1) meander; 2) mesh; and 3) interdigital configuration, has been studied and their comparative performance has been evaluated based on their areas of applications. All of them are suitable for inspection and evaluation of system properties without destroying them. The experiments on fabricated sensors have been conducted and the results are presented here. The target application is to use a mixture of different types of sensors to detect plasti

Si-induced superconductivity and structural transformations in DyRh4B4

DyRh4B4 has been known to crystallize in the primitive tetragonal (pt)-structure and to exhibit a ferromagnetic transition at 12 K, the highest magnetic transition temperature in the entire series of the RRh4B4 materials [1]. We show here that our silicon-added samples of the nominal composition DyRh4B4Si0.2 exhibit superconductivity below Tc ~ 4.5 K and an antiferromagnetic transition below TN ~ 2.7 K. The 12 K transition observed in the pt-DyRh4B4 is completely suppressed. Our annealed samples mainly consist of domains of the chemical composition DyRh3.9B4.2Si0.08. These domains contain two crystallographic phases belonging to the body-centred tetragonal (bct)-structure and the orthorhombic (o)-structure. We have reasons to suggest that superconductivity and antiferromagnetic ordering arise from bct- DyRh4B4 phase and, therefore, coexist below TN ~ 2.7 K.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, Accepted for publication in Journal of Alloys and Compound

Shock temperatures in calcite (CaCO3): Implication for shock induced decomposition

The temperatures induced in crystalline calcite upon planar shock compression (95–160 GPa) are reported from two-stage light gas-gun experiments. The temperatures are obtained fitting 6-channel optical pyrometer radiances in the 450 to 900 nm range, to a Planck radiation law temperature varied from 3300 to 5400 K. Calculations demonstrate that the temperatures are some 400 to 1350 K lower than if either shock-induced melting and/or disproportionation of calcite behind the shock front was not occurring. Here calcite is modeled as disproportionating into a molecular liquid, or a solid CaO plus CO2 gas. For temperature calculations, specific heat at constant volume for one mole of CO2 is taken to be 6.7R as compared to 9R in the solid state; whereas calcite and CaO have their solid state values (15R and 6R). Calculations also suggest that the onset of decomposition in calcite to CaO and CO2 during loading occurs at ~75±10 GPa, along the Hugoniot whereas decomposition begins upon unloading from 18 GPa. The 18 GPa value is based on comparison of VISAR measurements of particle velocity profiles induced upon isentropic expansion with one-dimensional numerical simulation

A low-cost sensing system for quality monitoring of dairy products

The dairy industry is in need of a cost-effective, highly reliable, very accurate, and fast measurement system to monitor the quality of dairy products. This paper describes the design and fabrication works undertaken to develop such a system. The techniques used center around planar electromagnetic sensors operating with radio frequency excitation. Computer-aided computation, being fast, facilitates on-line monitoring of the quality. The sensor technology proposed has the ability to perform volumetric penetrative measurements to measure properties throughout the bulk of the product

Magnetic Transition in the Kondo Lattice System CeRhSn2

Our resistivity, magnetoresistance, magnetization and specific heat data provide unambiguous evidence that CeRhSn2 is a Kondo lattice system which undergoes magnetic transition below 4 K.Comment: 3 pages text and 5 figure

Nucleation and growth of rolling contact failure of 440C bearing steel

A 'two-body' elasto-plastic finite element model of 2-dimensional rolling and rolling-plus-sliding was developed to treat the effect of surface irregularities. The model consists of a smooth cylinder in contact with a semi-infinite half-space that is either smooth or fitted with one of 0.4 microns deep or 7 microns deep groove, or a 0.4 microns high ridge-like asperity. The model incorporates elastic-linear-kinematic hardening-plastic (ELKP) and non-linear-kinematic hardening-plastic (NLKP) material constitutive relations appropriate for hardened bearing steel and the 440C grade. The calculated contact pressure distribution is Hertzian for smooth body contact, and it displays intense, stationary, pressure spikes superposed on the Hertzian pressure for contact with the grooved and ridged surface. The results obtained for the 0.4 microns deep groove compare well with those reported by Elsharkawy and Hamrock for an EHD lubricated contact. The effect of translating the counterface on the half space as opposed to indenting the half space with the counter face with no translation is studied. The stress and strain values near the surface are found to be similar for the two cases, whereas they are significantly different in the subsurface. It is seen that when tiny shoulders are introduced at the edge of the groove in the finite element model, the incremental plasticity and residual stresses are significantly higher in the vicinity of the right shoulder (rolling direction is from left to right) than at the left shoulder. This may explain the experimental observation that the spall nucleation occurs at the exit end of the artificially planted indents. Pure rolling calculations are compared with rolling + sliding calculations. For a coefficient of friction, mu = 0.1, the effect of friction is found to be small. Efforts were made to identify the material constitutive relations which best describe the deformation characteristics of the bearing steels in the initial few cycles. Elastic-linear-kinematic hardening-plastic (ELKP) material constitutive relations produce less net plastic deformation in the initial stages for a given stress, than seen in experiments. A new set of constitutive relations: non-linear-kinematic hardening-plastic (NLKP) was used. This material model produces more plasticity than the ELKP model and shows promise for treating the net distortions in the early stages. Techniques for performing experimental measurements that can be compared with the finite element calculations were devised. The measurements are being performed on 9mm-diameter, 440C steel cylindrical rolling elements in contact with 12.5 mm-diameter, 52100 steel balls in a 3-ball-rod fatigue test machine operating at 3600 RPM. Artificial, 7 microns deep, indents were inserted on the running track of the cylindrical rolling elements and profilometer measurements of these indents made, before and after the rolling. These preliminary measurements show that the indents are substantially deformed plastically in the process of rolling. The deformations of the groove calculated with the finite element model are comparable to those measured experimentally